Peetas Prospective
by Clema
Summary: Peetas prospective through the 74th annual Hunger Games. *Different Ending*
1. The Reaping

**This fanfiction follows the life of Peeta Mellark in the 74th Hunger Games. Who knows what will happen...  
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**If wish I had written THG, but have not so none of it is mine.  
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**Please R&R**

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When I wake up, there is an apron lying on my head. My mother yells from down the hall, "Get up boys, customers come early, you know?" The window is lightly glowing above me, I guess the time is around four or five AM. I swing my legs off the bed, trying not to remember what day it is. The reaping. I shudder, put on the apron and run down to the bakery. When I arrive I murmur "Good morning", to my family. My mother quickly leaves the room just as Gale comes in with a fat squirrel. In trade for it, my father hands him a couple loafs of bread and a "Good Luck". My father rushes away to store it and I'm alone. But only for a few moments when my mother rushes back in the room and breaks my train of thought. She whacks my back with a loaf of stale bread and scowls, "Get to work!" I follow her instructions and begin the work day.

Its reaping day so most of the citizens here will celebrate that their children don't have to die. That means many people will buy from us today. I'll start with cakes. First I make the cake dough, then I put it in a pan and into the oven it goes. When that cake is in the oven I make five more batches of cake mix and put them in the oven too. They have to bake for 20 minutes. I take out the first cake and let it cool on the drying rack. Then I make the delicious buttercream frosting. I frost the cakes and carefully place sugar flowers on top. On one cake I write 'Happy Hunger Games'. Mayor Undersea always buys that one. I put them in the window and start the process over again.

After about an hour or two of decorating capitol-worthy cakes, Mayor Undersea walks in. He sees me putting the last few goodies in the window. "How are you doing today?", he asks with a smile. "Nervous.", I reply because thats what every child or parent feels on reaping day. "May I have that cake right there please?", Mayor Undersea points to the 'Happy Hunger Games' cake in the window. I grab its paper plate and steadily bring it to the counter. My mother usually does the transactions so I call her down and tell the mayor to wait a moment. She rushes down and smiles at the mayor. I roll my eyes and and walk upstairs. I have't had breakfast yet. I grab two pieces of stale bread and a little bit of goat cheese and walk back down stairs eating as I go. By now the mayor has left and all thats left is my mother, giddy with the cash in the rusty register.

My mother and I serve many more customers before I look at the clock, exhausted. It reads 12:00. Only a few more customers will come, for the reaping will begin very soon and most people want to spend time with family just in case their children or siblings get chosen for the games. Our family doesn't do very much of that, but we begin closing the bakery anyway.

Upstairs my family and I dress up for the reaping. It scares me at the thought of entering the arena, but I shake it off. Theres a very small chance I would get picked for the capitols event. When we are ready, we lock the door and leave the house, walking to the center of town. On the way to the square I think about who could be the tributes, who might have a chance at winning. At first I think of Gale, the hunter from the Seam. He would have a chance to win if he were drawn. But some others, like friends from school would't stand a chance. I force it out of my mind as we arrive in the small, crowded square. We are signed in and my brother and I are directed to roped in areas. My mother and father linger with my eldest brother in the crowd.

I look up to the stage. It has three chairs next to a podium with a microphone. One for Mayor Undersee, who looks very uncomfortable. Another is filled by a woman known as Effie Trinket, District 12's escort into the Hunger Games. She looked so happy to know two of the children are most likely to be murdered in the games. But they both seemed concerned and nervous by the empty seat beside them.

The clock strikes 2:00 and Mayor Undersee rises to the podium. He speaks of when Panem was in an uprise against the capital. How the games were supposed to remind people that they could do whatever they wanted to you and nothing would happen to them. He told us the rules of the Hunger Games. In punishment for what happened seventy four years ago, each district was required to draw two tributes between the ages of twelve to eighteen. They will be placed in an arena with challenges in the terrain and your opponents. You must fight to the death and if your the last one alive, you win.

Most people think its barbaric that the capital does this, and I agree, but if we do so much as to think about disagreeing with them, they'll destroy all your friends, your family, and you. Just as they had district 13. But the capital takes it in as a sporting event, or a celebration, even a holiday and force us to act the same. Everyone in Panem has to watch, they are either forced, or are entertained by it. And to make it worse, they give you a lifetime of resting in you win. Supplying you a house in the victors village and a lifetime of money and riches. Plus, the winning district will be given prizes of food for the year they win. Meanwhile some other districts fight back starvation and sickness.

"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," intones Undersee. He reads the very short list of district 12 victors. We only have two. Which means we have lost seventy-three children in the past seventy-four years. And only one of the two victors are still alive, Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch is a middle-aged man who seems troubled by alcohol. Walking up to the stage he collapses into the third chair, trying to hug Effie Trinket. She doesn't seem to tolerate this and barley manages to stop him.

The Mayor looks very nervous by now and he probably should. This is all being televised live, everyone will be watching. He quickly announces Effie Trinket and sits back down, looking distressed.

Effie Trinket gallops to the podium as happy as ever. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor! It's such an honer to be here!" She says a few more good things about District 12, but everyone knows she probably begged for a different district. A more beautiful place, with good manors and better living conditions. "Ladies first!" She crosses to a grass bowl with girls' name's filled to the brim. She digs to the bottom and pulls out a slip of paper. She smoothes it out as she walks back to the podium and states what is clearly written on the card. "Primrose Everdeen!"

I take a deep breath and look around. Trying to find Primrose walking to the stage. Instead I look to see Katniss on the ground. Then I remember Prim is her sister. Thoughts start popping into my head. Had Katniss allowed her little sister sign up for tesserae? Would she let her sister die in the Arena? Surly she wouldn't. My thoughts are interrupted when I see the tiny Prim walking up to the stage. As pale as ever, she looks so frightened.

Suddenly I see Katniss shoot up and run to the stage, yelling "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!", and stepping in front of Prim. I get a ache in my head. I recognize Gale peeling Prim off Katniss's legs as she walks onto the stage.

Effie complains, "Lovely! But I beleive there's a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and if one does come forth the we, um..." she tails off, unsure herself. Burt the mayor has more sense and allows Katniss onto the stage. Even so, Effie enjoys herself, "Well, bravo! Thats the spirit of the games! What's your name?" Katniss bottles her fear, "Katniss Everdeen" I close my eyes for a long time, not believing my eyes or ears. But theres still some conversation. "I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on everybody! Lets give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" says the now cheery Effie Trinket.

Nobody clapped, whistled or cheered. Maybe because almost everyone knew her, or her father from the mining incident. Maybe they knew her healer mother. Or maybe her lovable sister, Prim. But no one wants to congratulate her for being put on death row. No one. Everyone around me puts their three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips, and raises it above their head, I do too.

Haymitch rushes up to meet Katniss, "Look at her! Look at this one! I like her! Lots of... Spunk!" He looks to the camera in front of the stage and says to it, "More than you! More than you!" Is he taunting the capital? Then he collapses onto the ground below him, off stage. Is he unconscious? It seem so because moments later a stretcher comes for him and he is taken away.

Effie Trinket hops back to the podium with a smile on her face, "What an exciting day!". She tries to straighten her wig, and or a moment I wonder what her hair looks like underneath it. She holds the top of it and crosses to retrieve the boys tribute. This time she grabs the first name she catches. For a moment I think of the five slips of paper in the bowl. She crosses back to the podium and reads "Peeta Mellark."

I stand still but almost loose myself in my mind. I mask it, hopefully nobody notices, and climb onto the stage to take my place next to Effie. I feel like crying, because I'm so sure I will die.

I look over at Katniss who seems to be in dark misery too. I realize now I might have to kill her. No, I won't do that, there will be 23 people dead by then. I'll be one of them. She won't because she is a natural fighter.

Effie calls for volunteers, but nobody comes forward. I find my family in the crowd and they don't look like they are easily cooping. Other than my mother, who is as strait as a board, not blinking an eye. For a moment we make eye contact, but she looks away quickly to Katniss.

I wondered what Katniss is thinking about, and if she remembers that rainy night where I had given her two loaves of burnt bread, only to be beaten by my own mom. How I had stared at her everyday after the day she sang in class, when they were five. How I watch her walk home with her sister everyday. Does she remember?

The mayor finishes the Treaty of Treason and motions for Katniss and I to shake hands. I look her strait in the eye and shake her hand a little to hard, but its okay, it seems like a squeeze. We face the district and are taken into the Justice Building.


	2. The Train Ride

**Its a short one because I'm getting a little bored with this story with such scarce reviews. *****Hint* *Hint***

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Once in, I'm taken to the room where I'll say goodbye to everyone. I gaze at the beautiful silk curtains overlooking the square. I notice my friends are gathered near the edge of the square. My brothers are near them. I can't find my parents and fear shoots through me. Are they okay? Did they leave without a goodbye? I leave the window and sit on one of the velvet couches. I'm about to stand back up when my father walks in.

He sits across from me and speaks quietly. "Your mother and I will miss you..." Thats all he has to say to make me burst out crying. He moves to sit beside me. He holds me, containing his own tears. "Shh, Shhh, you're going to win this thing." I wipe my wet face. "How can you say that? I have no chance of winning." Now I've put my father in a place of distress. "We can't lose you. Please, just try." I nod, I can at least try for him. An angry peacekeeper opens the door and orders my father out of the room. We embrace for a second until he is shoved out of the room. The few minuets we had ticked by so quickly.

Next comes my mother who stands by the door with a neutral expression. She remains silent for a while. Then speaks up, as if she is decided what she wants to say. "Maybe district twelve will finally have a winner." My face lights up with hope. The mother who has beaten me and yelled believes in me! But then she continues and my heart drops. "She is a survivor. She is." I don't know what I feel next. Anger? Resentment? Jealousy? Pain? Before I can speak, she walks out of the room without being summoned by a peacekeeper.

The tears come out of my eyes before I notice. I sit cuddled in the velvet blanket and pillows. I fall asleep quickly but am aroused by a peacekeeper in what feels like seconds. We travel to the train station in a car, I've never been in one before, Its always a wagon or by foot. I notice Katniss hasn't been crying, but she looks like an emotional wreck. Her shoulder is wet, probably from her sister's tears, but her face is as dry as a drought. Its odd, she has such a beautiful and close family, but she doesn't cry when she'll most likely never see them again.

My eyes are red from crying and Effie seems in a hurry to get us on the train away from photographers. After Katniss's performance at the reaping, Effie was ecstatic to get to the Capitol. We walked up the metal steps and were greeted with a beautiful display of pastries and other goodies. Katniss looked that them questionably while I grabbed a plate and gobbled down a glazed croissant greedily. The taste overwhelmed my mouth as soon as I smelt it. Saliva pooled my mouth as I ate. The flavor was so rich I had to sit down and process it with a cup of water. Katniss sat by me and I offered her a sip, she ignored me and waited for their escort to speak. "Isn't it kind of the capitol to give you all this," she gestured to the tables of food and drink, "Even though you're here, and even though its only for a little while, you get to enjoy all the luxuries of the capitol." Effie smiled at them, "I'll go find Haymitch. He is probably in the Bar Car." Effie chirps out of the room, her heels clicking on the floor.

I turn to Katniss nervously, "Have you ever met him?" She stays silent. "Katniss, even if he is a complete wreck, he is our mentor. Theres nothing wrong with a bit of help." The memory of the loaves of bread on that rainy day flash in and out of her mind. I can tell. Haymitch barrels into the room, only stopping when he reaches the liquor table to pour a glass for himself. "Congratulations tributes" he says unstably. Its easy to tell he is drunk from the stench of it in his breath. Anger boils within me. He is supposed to help us right? I look at Katniss uneasily, this is not helping my case on working together. He turns to the door lazily, "I think I'll enjoy the rest of this in my room," and walks away clumsily. I stand up, "I'll take care of him," and walk away from Katniss.

I quietly follow Haymitch through corridors until He turns through a door into his chamber. He sits on the bed and watches me walk in the room. "What are you doing here Mellark?" He almost sounds somber. I sit next to him, "How can you do it each year? Coping with all the death for the last 24 years?" I ask him. His reply sounds hollow and lonely, "I don't." I look at his surprisingly. The one encounter I've had with him, he was very defensive of his position. "Then how about this year, you help us win and then it doesn't add up to another couple of dead kids. He looks at me, unsure of my proposition, "Fine, but don't bother me about it now. I'll see you in the morning." I smile and exit the room, winding down the halls. I find myself in a beautiful kitchen, very unlike mine back in district 12.

There are at least four people baking so I decide to discuss with them first. "Hello?" They look up at me as if confused. One of them grabs a piece of paper and a pencil from the counter and scribble _'Yes?'. _Now I'm confused, "Why can't you speak?" I ask sounding very demanding. '_We are Avoxes. We have been traitors to the capitol so they took away our right to speak. They cut out our tongues.' _One of them writes quickly, '_Is there something we can help you with?' _I looked at them in disbelief. The capitol was cruel enough by killing children annually, but cutting out its own citizens tongues and making them forever slaves was unheard of. "No," I replied, "I was just looking around. Sorry." I mumbled. They nod at me and return to their work.

I walk away from them briskly and jogged back to my compartment. Even the hall amazed me. It was a thick blue flowered print with a light cream finish. My room was even more magnificent. The silk violet curtains overlooking the quickly passing forest. The baby blue carpet felt like fluffy clouds. I walk to the bathroom, in awe of my surroundings. I try to turn on the bath, but end up having to call a train attendant to help. I hop in the tub and falls asleep amidst strawberry bubbles


	3. Authors Note

**Authors Note: I will most likely not continue with this due to the lack of reviews. Sorry if you liked this fanfiction, but its over now. bye.**


	4. Shes dead?

**I'm so sorry this is unexeptably short. I have been traveling for two months and have returned. I've started the next chapter. This is pretty messed up and it kind of goes off track. I'm really really really really sorry. I don't own any of the Hunger Games charators of plot.**

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Effie wakes me up, startling me so that I choke on bubbles. "What are you doing, you could have drowned!" Her bickering went on about how I should enjoy the train while I have it and it almost makes me agree with her. She brings me an avox and he helps me out of the tub. I give him a quick thank you and dismiss them before I say anything that might hurt him later.

The closet opens when I press the button beside my bed. It shows an extremely large collection of clothes. I look through them for a while, and find a similar outfit to the one I wore to the reaping. I don't mind greasing my hair up because it looked butt ugly at the reaping, well thats how Haymitch described it.

When I walk into the dining room I'm greeted by Haymitch and Effie, but no Katniss. My smile fades and I ask, "Wheres Katniss?" Effie grumbles a reply that i don't hear. I sit down and eat.

After dinner I go see Katniss. Heer door is closed so I knock and walk in. She is dead. (A/N: Plot twist!) Well she looks dead. Shes naked on her bed, with an empty tub of ice cream. My cheeks redden and I walk to the door. Haymitch walks by and notices Peeta watching her. "Damn." And walks away. I follow suit. Katniss opens her eyes and looks after him leave with hateful eyes.


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